By Raquel Daisy

Photo courtesy of Dr. Brian Anding

Fort Worth, TEXAS (October 15, 2011) – NTSP physician Dr. Brian Anding and GRACE Community Clinic are working together to ensure those in need have a way to maintain their overall health – most especially their eye health.

Dr. Brian Anding was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. In high school, he knew he would choose a career in medicine. “I went into pre-med right after high school,” said Dr. Anding. “I always did well in math and science so medicine was a natural choice for me.” He is the first in his family to become a doctor completing his undergraduate degree at Texas A&M University, his medical studies at the University of Texas Southwestern and ophthalmology training at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences. He returned to the Hurst-Euless-Bedford area after his medical training and has lived there for the past 20 years.

Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange (GRACE) – a non-profit relief agency in Grapevine, Texas – put out a call for volunteers and in 2003 Anding signed on to provide free eye exams in his office for diabetic patients referred from the GRACE Community Clinic. “My decision to work with GRACE was something that was needed especially for their diabetic patients,” said Anding. “These patients require specialized care to help maintain their overall eye health and I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to help them if I had the means to do it.”

In 2008, GRACE Community Clinic named Dr. Anding volunteer of the year – an award given every year based on volunteer hours donated, consistency, contributions made and impact on the clinic and its programs. “We are extremely thankful and blessed to have Dr. Anding. He is the only eye doctor we have right now,” said Amy Holcomb, GRACE Community Clinic nurse manager. “He is allowing us to ensure our diabetic patients are getting the preventative care they need to maintain their overall eye health.”

GRACE was founded in 1987 due to a growing need for emergency assistance services in far northeast Tarrant County. The organization provides food, clothing, financial assistance and other necessities to people struggling with limited income or a recent emergency. The GRACE Community Clinic started off as a mobile unit that provided healthcare services at a local church in 2003. In 2006, it opened as a full charitable clinic for the residents of Grapevine, Southlake and Colleyville. The clinic provides a number of healthcare services, including:

• Routine office visits
• Health screenings
• Medications
• Specialist referrals
• Diagnostic testing
• Lab services
• Dietary consultations, and
• General health education

Dr. Anding is board-certified in Ophthalmology and has been with Nethery Eye Associates since 2008. In his free time, he enjoys outdoor sports including hunting and fly fishing. Anding also enjoys cooking and likes to enter competitive barbeque cooking competitions. He has placed in the areas of brisket, ribs and chicken at past competitions and is also known for his pinto beans. In the future he is interested in competing in some pickling contests. Anding has been with NTSP since 2000 and is a participating provider in the Care N’ Care Medicare Advantage health plans. For more information about Grace Community Clinic, visit www.gracegrapevine.org. For more information about NTSP, visit www.ntsp.com.